How to spot gold in a pile of dust

The incident at Roedean School shook many in our community. Feelings ran high, and it was hard not to be unsettled. Yet even in moments like these, the Torah reminds us that our core, our inner gold remains untouchable. 

Parshas Terumah teaches this beautifully. The Torah tells us to build a Mishkan covered in gold. My first thought, as a rabbi involved in renovating my shul, is “Gold? Inside and out? Did anyone check the budget?” 

The holiest object in the Mishkan was the Aron, the Ark of the Covenant. The Torah instructs it be made of acacia wood and covered with gold, inside and out. To achieve this, Betzalel, the architect, built three nested boxes: a golden box, a wooden box inside it, and another golden box inside that. 

Why the fuss? Why not just plate one wooden box? Because the Aron is not about wood or gold. It is about the human soul. 

Gold is incorruptible. It doesn’t rot, decay, or change under pressure. Wood, by contrast, grows, shifts, and sometimes deteriorates. Life works the same way. 

Our core essence is unchanging like gold, it’s a divine spark. Around it lies our personality, moods, impulses, insecurities, which can vacillate like wood. Finally, there is the external façade of our actions and behaviour, our outer layer of gold. 

Even if our “wood” feels messy or unstable, the Torah reminds us that the gold inside remains untouchable. Our outer actions can shine too, if we choose to let them. 

As a child, I loved watching my father at work in the jewellery trade. He would purchase bags of gold sweeps, dust, and tiny scraps from polishing. To me, it looked like he was collecting dirt. I was embarrassed that my father was buying what looked like dirt, and he didn’t work for the sanitation department or Pikitup. But then came the magic. In his refinery, he would melt the dust under intense heat. Slowly, the impurities dissolved, leaving pure, radiant gold. 

The brilliance was hiding in the dust the whole time. That lesson has stayed with me. Sometimes gold just needs a little heat to shine. 

Life has its own refining moments. Even in challenging times, the gold is still there. Holding our heads high; standing proud of our identity; responding with courage and dignity; that’s letting the gold shine. 

This week, as our family celebrates my daughter, Sara Rosa’s, Batmitzvah, the lesson resonates. A Batmitzvah marks the moment a young Jewish woman begins taking ownership of her choices, not because she is perfect, but because she learns that her words, actions, and behaviour can reflect the gold within, even when feelings are messy. 

Parshas Terumah reminds us that we are all builders of our own Mishkan. We cannot always control our emotions or life’s surprises, but we can choose how we act. The gold is already there. Sometimes it just needs a little heat to reveal its brilliance. 

When we let it shine, we create a sanctuary within ourselves, our families, and our community, one golden choice at a time.